WASHINGTON — Which do you want first: The bad news or the other bad news?
Not only is mosquito season fast approaching, but also D.C. has ranked toward the top of the list of Orkin’s latest Top Mosquito Cities ranking.
Using data from service calls in 2014, Orkin placed Washington, D.C., at No. 3, according to the list it released Monday.
Atlanta and Chicago fared worse than the Nation’s Capital coming in at Nos. 1 and 2, respectively. Detroit and Houston follow at Nos. 4 and 5.
The top 10 mosquito cities:
- Atlanta
- Chicago
- Washington, D.C.
- Detroit
- Houston
- Raleigh – Durham, North Carolina
- Boston
- Dallas – Fort Worth
- Charlotte, North Carolina
- Nashville, Tennessee
In a news release, Orkin says June through August is the prime time for mosquitoes, but it can sometimes extend from April to October in the South.
“Mosquitoes can be a major health concern during the summer, no matter where you live,” Entomologist and Orkin Technical Services Director Ron Harrison, Ph.D. said in a news release. “Their bites can cause allergic reactions and spread diseases, which means families need to take precautions against mosquitoes when outdoors in their own yards and around their communities, as well as when they travel.”
Mosquitoes can spread West Nile virus and chikungunya virus, which is relatively new in the U.S.
Chikungunya is spread when Asian tiger mosquitoes or fever mosquitoes bite someone already infected, then bite someone else. Both types of mosquitoes are common in the South, but are active during the day.
For more information on prevention and to see the full list of Top Mosquito Cities, click here.
